Forming and assembling machine and process



April 29, 1930. J. E. GUNTER FORMING AND ASSEMBLING MACHINE AND PROCESSFiled Sept. 12, 1927 7 Sheets-Sheet April 29, 1930. J. E. GUNTER1,756,427 FORMING AND ASSEMBLING MACHINE AND PROCESS I Filed Sept 12,192'? v Sheets-Sheet 2 A ril 29, 1930. J. E. GUNTER 1,756,427

FORMING AND ASSEMBLING MACHINE AND PROCESS Filed Sept. 12. 1927 7Sheets-Sheet 3 5 x f K all v i 27 "U M gwvnto'o 74/7/61? 5 Gu/lfaflApril 29, 1930. J. E. GUNTER FORMING AND ASSEMBLING MACHINE AND PROCESS'7 Sheets -Sheet Filed Sept. 12, 1927 April 29, 1930. J. E. GUNTER IFORMING AND ASSEMBLING MACHINE AND PROCESS Filed Sept. 12,. 9 '7Sheets-Sheet 5 gwuwnto'c J5me; E 60/77/1 abbomuq A ril 29, 1930. J. E.GUNTER 1,755,427

FORMING AND ASSEMBLING MACHINE AND PROCESS Filed Sept: 12, 1927 '7Sheets-Sheet 6 gwuunto'o April 29, 1930. J. E. GUNTER FORMING ANDASSEMBLING MACHINE AND PROCESS Filed Sept. 12, 1927 7 Sheets-Sheet,

Lil/776$ E Gunfem Patented Am. 29, 1930' 1 5 5 42'j i Uirn STATES.

JAMES GUNTER, F BALTIMORE, MARYLAND FORMING A ND ASSEMBLING- MACHINE ANDPROCESS Application filed September 12, 1927. Serial No. 219,015.

My invention relates to machines for formtus embodying the presentinvention, with ing a string like material, such as wire, into a partsbroken away. particularly constructed ring and assem- Figure 2 is a topplan view thereof; bling the same on an adjoining member, and Figure 3is an enlarged view, similar to V in the embodiment here shown, it isespecially Fig. l, with certain parts shown in section. b

designed to assemble retaining rings on con- Figure 4: is a verticalsectional View subtainer members, such as tin cans. But in itsstantially on line 4-4 of Fig. 3. V broader aspects my invention, inwhole or in Figure 5 is a detailed sectional view,show- I part, may beused in other operations; its his; the transfer means and other'details.

10 utility is not limited, and it is desired to progn o 6 is a part 6 i1m1 View Showing tect such parts as may be used in suchother prlnclpallythe offset and notching tools, on operations. llne 66 of Fig. 3.

The principal object of my invention is to Figure 7 is a rear View ofthe front part produce a ring accurately and quickly and to of h n reland Certain other details. 15 place if, on a, container member, F gure 8is aside view thQIQOf.

An important object of my invention i to Figure 9 is a detail showingthe cutting die make the ring and completely form it on aalldknlfemandrel which embodies several of the parts F 52 7 10 i Vl W ofa completed ring. f th hi d th t sever it f th Figure 11 s a verticalsection of'a contain- 20 material of which it is formedand transfer Vlththe lflhg in p it from the mandrel to the container member. The m h hereShown its an embodiment A th bj t i t so f th i th t of my invention hasa wire feed, a ring form- Wlien it is on the container member it willhug fi ofiseh q hotchihg device; and the container member tightly, itwill have a T1113 cut i devlce- B 0 s Container considerable centripetaltension, so that when member mhchahlsm rho P the the container member isled away with the member 111 rhcelvlhg Positiohahd n ring upon it, itwill not jar off. Another obto transfer the t0 the h e ject of myinvention is to bend part of the formed rlng, 9 g; 10 d in ring materialfrom the path of the ring, to Seam on a Cohhalher 1h ls'patehted form ahandle to remove the ring after it is 111 y Patent 5 7 of March 1927, S0seamed in. Another object of my invention and as there Shown,ahdhs'shhwh g is to compress or thin part of this bent away 10 and V h abody Porhloh 1, ah s f part of the ring material, so that this handleChg Whlch, the P11108915 h h i is will not interfere with the seamingoperation. notched h a Thls l '13 P E 35 Another Object of my inventionis to make around container-body member 4, having, iJ

the parts readily adjustable, replaceable and i d 'anvouter g n ainterchangeable so that different sizes of i g Cove? member msened tmaterial may be used and different sizedrings (my membel' The Outer edgeof thls cover 4 i member is curled under the wire and ti htly 40 may imacde g g gig ggt ggi fi ig iz against it. The thinned portion ofthering may 6 pm permits this curling operation to take place may bequickly made.

where the handle projects. When it is de- Ntlmemlls other Oblects andadvantages of sired to open the container, the handle is r the inventionWlll be apparent as the 1nvenpulled down, the cover edge is therebv 45tion is explained in connection with the accurled, andthe cover belifted p colhpahyihg drawings forming a P of this The machine as hereshown is mounted on specification and which show one embodia b 8 Th i fdin mechanism b merit of the invent-i011? r itself forming no part ofthe presentinven In the drawings: 7 I i tion,may be driven by a beltover pulley 9 5B Figure 1 is a front elevation of an apparamounted looseon shaft 10. The pulley ro- CAD operated.

' containing a long screw and a block, which block may be moved in theslot along a radius of the gear wheel by the screw to'vary the lengthof. stroke of arm 17, pivoted at one end to the block and at the otherto'a segment gear 18 which drives a pinion loosely mounted on shaft 19.This pinion, by means of a pawl and ratchet mechanism in casing20,.operates shaft 19 on the left hand stroke of the gear segment,'butnot on the right hand stroke. Meshing with anotherpinion on shaft 19 ispinion 21 on shaft 22. Shaft 22 is carried in a box 23 which may be,raised or lowered at the front end by} hand. screw 24. On the front endof shafts 19 and 22 are grooved wire feeding rolls 25 and.26. The wire27 passes through adjustable guides 28 and 29 on each side of the feedrolls.

On the head of the base .8 is the back part of a mandrel 30 to which afront part, 31, is attached by screws 32. Between these two parts of themandrel a lower curling roll 33 is mounted. Upper curling rolls 34 areadjustably mounted on the head of the machine. By varying the verticalposition of the upper rollsthe ring may be given more or less cen-'tripetal tension or hug around the mandrel.

At a predetermined place in the course of the formation of the ringaround the man drel, the wire feeding device stops feeding the wire andthe offsetting of a portion of the wire from the path of the ringisefi'ected.

Mounted, cletachably, in the front part of the,

mandrel 31 is an anvil 35 having two faces, one, 3.6,in the line or pathof the wirecurling rolls and against the edge of which the wire is bent,and the other, 37, set forward, to

. again straighten the wire, so that the bent off partcomes backsubstantially parallel to the body of the ring, that is, a part isoffset. The active offsetting tool 37A has parts complementing those ofthe anvil, a short holding 7 part, 38 and a longer bending part 39. Thebending part and the edge against which the wire is bent are slightlyremoved so that the wire is bent on an obhque angle, so that the strainon the wlre 1s lessened. This offsetting tool has, at its rear end, aslot cut in one side, forming thereby a hook, which fits under a raisedprong 40, on plunger l1,wh1ch may be rotated to lock into the slot orhook.

head of the machine, which is reciprocated by bell crank lever 43 fixedon shaft 75 mounted in an upper bracket 44 and passing Gear wheel 14 hasin it a slot-16 through a lower opening on the head of the machine. Thisbell crank receives its motion through a follower riding in the grooveof a 021111.45 on shaft 15;

'lVhile the offsetting tool is holding the wire firmly a notchingtoollfi comes between the two parts of the offsetting tool to thin .partof tie wire where the offset occurs. 7 An anvil 4?, adjustable b'y screw48, to vary the depth of the notch, is in back of the notching tool onthe front part of the mandrel, and against it the wire is pressed. Inthe SillllGhQldGI' 4L9 thatadjustablyholds the not-ching tool is a barwhich comes against a'lower part of he ring so that the pressure of thenotching tool'will not straighten out the ring. Holder 19 is on slide 51working in wide grooves on the face of the head of the machine; Slide 51has a follower-.52workingin a cam groove on cam'wheel 53-which is faston shaft 15. l

After the ring material. is offset and notehed, the feeding mechanismagain starts and a complete ring is formed, and then the ring is severedfrom the material while the feed'ng mechanism is again atrest. The ringas cut off leaves sufficient material curled toform the handle of thesucceeding ring before the feeding mechanism starts again. A cutting die54 with an oblique cutting edge 55, and a space 56 for a separatingfinger 57 is detachably mounted in the front part of the mandrel 31.Against this'cutting edge the wire is pressed by a knife 58to cut offthe finished ring. The knife cuts diagonally as shown in Figs. 7 and 9.This knife and its accompanying separating finger areadjustably mountedin hell crank lever 59, which is given 1ts reciprocating motion throughlever 60 and bell crank lever 61 by the follower 62 riding wheel 63 onshaft 15. r

The ring being formed passes through a groove in guide 64 which bothseparates the strands of wire and holds the strand being curled downupon the mandrel, while' guides 65. and 66 guide the curled wire out ofthe path of the curling rolls. I V

In Figure 3 the wire is shown with a part curled while in Fi 's. 7 and 8a com alete rin 7 is shown being out off with the nextone offset andnotched. r

After the ring is formed, and just before it is cut off, strip offfingers or' transfer means recede to their farthest back position, andwhen the ring is cut off, the fingers push it forward over the taperedend of the mandrel, and then recede part way back to be out of the wayof the forming mechanisms. Theseffingers 67 are detachably pivoted attheir rearends around pins held in plates 68 and 69. U shaped springs70, with the bottom of the U over the back of the fingers in grooves andthe prongs in holes in the plates, tend to force the fingers inwardly.These fingers have front ends adapted to ride over in a cam groove onthe rear of cam a ring in receding and to push it forward when comingforward. Screws 71 in the plates keep certain of the fingers from comingout easily. Plate 69 rides 'ona pin 72, as well as being held by itsactuating rod 7 3 slidingly mounted in the head of the machine and onits rear end having a grooved collar in which works a roller on one endof a lever 7d, fixed on the lower end of shaft 75. Plate 68 partiallyguided by edges of the head in which it works, is fixed to rod 76 whichis reciprocated by a roller on the extreme end of bell crank lever 43.Plates 68 and 69 are thus reciprocated as one.

A container member chute 78 carries members to ring receiving positionbefore the mandrel and then permits them to pass on. Alternatelyreciprocating fingers 7 9 first permit one member to'fall in place, andhold it there, then let that member pass on and hold back the othersthen another is dropped in place. These fingers are pivoted on'rods 80and each set has an arm 81. These arms are on the arms 81. These bellcrank levers have rolls riding on properly formed cams 84: on theoutside rim of cam wheel 53.

As each container member is dropped into place, a reciprocating plunger85 forces the member up on the slightly tapered nose 86 of the large endof the mandrel. This large end of themandrel is notched, 87, to guidethe transfer fingers. The ring is pushed out over the large end ofthemandrel, and'enlarged by the large end of the mandrel, and then allowedto snap into place on the container member when it slips off of themandrel onto the container member. It thus has sufficient centripetaltension not to easily jar from the container member. This plung er 85 ismounted on a rod 88. The plunger has a tension spring90 tending to pullit in against a container member. A bell crank lever 91, has one endbearing on a plate fast to rod 88, andwhen it operates,-the rod, andplunger 85,are pushed outwardly. A hole in this plate also slides on rod89 to ad'- ditionally support the plunger. The other end of this bellcrank lever has a roller rid.-"

ing on a face cam 92 on the rear of the same Wheel that groove cam 63 ison.

The various cans are so grooved and faced and timed in their action thatthe operations above described take place in the desired se-' quence.

J The mandrel, and the chute and parts operating in and on the two canbe taken oif, and others put on for larger or smaller sized con--tainers and larger or smaller sized wire and rings, and some variationcan be provided by adjustments of the parts without interchanging them.For wide variations of sizes, howover, several machines would bepreferable. The machine as shown is designed to be placed in a line of.can making machinery, to receive body members from a body maker and topass on ringed bodies to a seamer- The foregoing detailed descriptionhas been given for clearness of understanding only, and no unnecessarylimitations should be understood therefrom, but the appended claimsshould be construed as broadly as permissible. What I regard as new anddesire to secure by Letters Patent, is:v V .v

l ln ring forming and placing mechanism, a mandrel, material feedingmecha-. nism, means to form a ring of said material around said mandrel,mechanismto sever a formed ring from the material and means to transfersaid ring from said mandrel to an adjoining member.

2. In a ring forming and placing mechanism, a mandrel, material feedingmeclianism, means to form a ring of said material around said mandrel,mechanism to sever a formed ring from the material. and means to expandand to transfer said ring from said mandrel to an adjoining member.

3. Mechanism for forming and placing a resiliently holdingring on amember comprising a mandrel, means to form a ring around said mandrel,mechanism to bring a member to ring receiving position and means toexpand and to transfer said ring; from said mandrel to said member.

4. In ring forming and placing mechanism, a mandrel, material feedingmechanism, means to form a ring of said material around said mandrel,mechanism to sever a formed ring from the material, mechanism: toyieldingly place a member against said mandrel and means to transfersaid ring from said mandrel to said member.; 5; In ring forming andplacing mechanism, a mandrel, material feeding mechanism, means to forma ring of said mate,

rial around said mandrel, mechanism to sever a formed rlng from thematerial, mechanism to place a member in axialalignment witl saidmandrel and means to transfer said ring from said mandrel to saidmember.

6. Mechanism for forming and placing a resiliently holding ring on amember comprising a mandrel, means to form a ringaround said mandrelwlth suniclent centripetal tension to securely surround a member andmeans to transfer a formed ring from said mandrel to a member.

7. Mechanlsm for forming'and placing a resiliently holding ring on amember com-' prising. a mandrel, means to form a ring around saidmandrel with sufficient centripetal tension to securely surround amember,

means to vary the amount of centripetal tenslon in said ring, andmeanstotransfer said ring from said mandrel to a member.

8. In ring forming and placing mecha-V nlsm, a mandrel, material feedingmechanism,;meansto form a ring. of said material around said mandrel,mechanism to sever a formed ring fromthe material, means to vary thelength of material insaid ring, and means to transfersaid ring fromsaidmandrel to an adjoining member.

9. The process of forming and placing a ring on member, which consistsin form ing a ring around a mandrel With-.suflicient centripetaltensionto securely surround a member and transferring said ring; from saidmandrel to a member.

1 0. In ring forming and placing mecha-v nism, a mandrel, materialfeeding 'mechaadjoining member.

nism, means to form aring of said material around said mandrel,mechanism to'sever sa-idring, after its formation, from the material,mechanism adjustable to different lengths of members to place a memberagainst said mandrel and means to transfer said ring from said mandrelto said member. 11. Mechanism for'forming and placing a resilientlyholding ring on a member comprising a mandrel, means to form a ringaround said mandrel, bodily removable and interchangeable means toexpand and to transfer said ring from said mandrel to an '12. In ringforming and placing mechanism, a mandrel, -material feedingmeehaadjoining member.

14:. In ring forming and placing mechanism, a mandrel, material feedingmecha-' nism, means to form a ring of said material around said mandrel,mechanism. to sever a formed ring from the material, meansto adjust saidsevering mechanism for different sizes of material and means totransfersaid ring from said mandrel tov an adjoining member.

15. In ring forming mechanism, a mandrel, material feeding mechanism,means to form a ring of said material around said mandrel, mechanism tosever a formed rlng from the material including a: cutting die onsaidmandrel and a knife cooperating therewith to sever from said material aring having therein a predetermined length of material, and a separatingfinger moving in umson with said knife to separate the portion of thematerial tabs-cut. fromthe adjoining portion of" said material.

16. In ring forming mechanism,m'aterial feeding mechanism, means} toform a ringof saidmaterial, means tobend a portion of said materialfront; the pathof the ring while it is held by the forming means andmechanism to'then' sever a formed ring with a-bent portion from saidmaterial] r 17. In rmg forming mechanism, a mandrel,

material feeding; mechanism, means'to form a ring ofsaid material aroundsaidmandrel, means'to bend aportion of said material from the path ofthe ring including a bending-edge on sald mandrel and a bendercooperatlng therewith and means to, sever a formed ring with a bentportion from said material.

18. In ring forming and placing mechanism, a mandrehmaterial' feedingmechanism, means toform a ringof-said material around said mandrel,means tobend' a portion of said material from the path 'of'the ring,mechanism to sever a formed: ring with a bent portion from the materialand means to transfer said ring from said mandrel to an adjoinmgmember.4

19.'In ring forming mechanism, material feeding mechanism, means tosuccessively form rings of saidmaterial, means to offset a portion ofeach of said rings and means to then successively sever said formedrings with offset portions from said material.

20. In ring forming and placing mechanism, a mandrel, intermittentlyactingmaterial feeding mechanism,means to form a ring of said materialaround said mandrel, means" to bend a portion of said material from theprising a mandrel, means 'to form a ring around said mandrel, means tobend a por-- tion of the material of which the ring is formed from thepath of the ring and means to compress a portion of said bent portion.

22. Mechanism for forming a ring com-' prising a mandrel, means tofforma ring around said mandrel, means to bend a-portion of the material ofwhich the ring is formed from the path of the ringand means to compressa portion of the bent portion'while' it is held by the bending meansincluding an anvil on said mandrelv and a compressing means cooperatingtherewith. V

'23. In ring forming and placing mechanism, a mandrel, means to form aringaround said mandrel, means tobend a portion of the material of whichthe ring is formed from the path of the ring, means to'comp ress a per-'tion of the bent portion and means to transfer a formed ring with abent and compressed portion from said mandrel to an adjoining member.

24.. Mechanism for forming a ring comprising a mandrel, means to form aring around said mandrel, means to ofiset a portion of said ring andmeans to compress said ring between the parallel parts thereof.

25. Mechanism for forming a ring comprising a mandrel, means to form aring around said mandrel, means to offset a portion of said ring,including two spaced bending edges and coacting holding means, and meansto compress said ring between the parallel parts thereof while the adjoining parallel parts are held by said offsetting means.

JAMES E. GUNTER.

